Sheet-flooring and method of producing same



A. c. BIERNATZKI. SHEET FLOORING AND METHOD OF PROD APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. I92

UCING SAME. 0.

Patented June 21,1921.

UNITED sures- PATENT ornca.

ALBERT G. BIERNA'I'ZKI, OI AURORA, ILLINOIS.

SEEM-FLOORING AND METHOD 0] PRODUCING SAME.

ama amass mm Patented June 21, 1921.

Application fled Ianuary 17, 1820. Serial No. 852,058.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ALBERT C. BIERNATZKI, a citizen of the United States, residin at- Aurora, in the county of Kane and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Floorings and Methods of Producing Same, of which the There are several varieties of asphalite and the most commonly known are those designated as elaterite and gilsonite, and these substances have been heretofore employed in the production of flooring surfaces, the former to a greater extent and more successfull than the latter. These materials when sub ected to heat and held in solution by a suitable substance, such as naphtha, form a substance or mastic. Elaterite or gilsomte thus held in solution have been mixed with comminutedv fibrous material and applied to'the floor surface to be covered in successive layers, hydrated lime being sometimes mixed therewith to hasten the drying action. Where so laid successive coatings have to be employed to insure the various coatings drying out and becoming sufiiciently hard to withstand wear. Where it is attem ted to apply the material in bulk of su cient thickness to produce the requisite floor covering stair treads, desk to 5, table tops, switch boards, and various ot er purposes of the kind where a hard smooth wearing surface is required, it is found that the material will not dry" out thoroughly except upon a long lapse of time. Where laid upon a wooden floor it will tend to check and to become otherwise defect ve by reason of the expansion and contraction of the wood. The eat difiiculty which 1nheres in the use o this'material produced from gilsonite or elaterite is that it dries very slowly and heretofore no way has been found, so far as I am aware, of producing the material in sheet form so that it may be handled and shipped in sheet form substantially dry and ready for placement. The

present invention has to do with the production of the material-in sheet form whereby it may be readily manufactured, transpgrted and placed in position, the flooring ing substantially complete with-the exception of the application of the finish coatings, which readily dry, though it is possible to produce a complete or finished sheet ready for dlrect laying by the user upon the floor.

Qnepf the greatest dlifiCUltlGS which obta ns 1n producing mastic in sheet form arises from the fact that it must be completed whlle 1t is in the plastic state, about the consistency of mortar, and the great'adhesive property of'the gum or mastic causes 1!; to bond upon anything upon which it is spread for drying or while being rolled, makng it impossible to take it up again so that it may be employed for any purpose. In other words, up to the time of m invention 1t has been impossible, so far as am aware, to pass the material between rollers while drymg for the pur ose of compression, gett ng a smooth sur ace, and by use of properl gaged rollers, obtaining an exact and uniform thickness of the sheet.

The material, according to the present in- I vention, may be formed into sheets of the requisite size, and in the drawing I have sought to show, in perspective, partly broken away, a portion 0 a sheet which is formed to the method hereinafter set prefer to use elaterite rather. than acoordin forth.

ilsonite owing toits superior inherent qual-s lties for the purposes in view.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a sheeting of fi rous material, preferably what is known as asbestos felt, which is designated in the-drawing by 1. This sheet is partially impregnated on the upper face with the mastic material above referred to, namely, the melted elaterite held in solution in a suitable solvent, such as naphtha, and imposed thereon is a layer of substantial thickness, designated by'2, composed of the same material having distributed therethrough asing or layer, successive coatings of the mastic formed of elaterite in solution are a plied and rolled, the rolling condensing t e material and rendering it hard. The successive coatings are rmitted to dry for a short period time, za bout an hour) whereby the upper surface thereof becomes hardened to such an extent that it will not adhereto the roller. The body, however, re-' mains plastic to such an extent that it may be rolled to smoothness and uniform thickness, but such rolling must take' place before the hardening action strikes through the body of the layer. The handling of the sheet is rendered possible by the underlay of asbestos felt where otherwise it could not be manipulated. The sheets thus treated may be cut up to an desired shape or size.

Two metho s' have been employed to carry out this coating or building-up process. In one I emplo is laid asbestos fe t and upon which the mastic is spread and rolled, Another method is to place the felt upon a smooth floor surface, such as concrete, applying the mastic, then cutting it up, whlch may be done shortly after the application of the mastic to the felt, then running the material between. rollers to bring about the proper degree of compression and consequently density.

j The material thus produced canbe given any required degree of seasoning before being used. It may be piled or stacked without danger of the sheets adhering, this by reason of the employment of the elt sheet, inasmuch as the .exposed face of the felt is .not treated up to this time with the mastic. 85 The imposing of the successive layers of the mastic-upon the felt does not sufiiciently impregnate the exposed face thereof to such an extent that it will become sticky or tacky and thus adherence is prevented. When laid, however, the exposed face of the felt is thoroughl' saturated with the mastic which may 0 thinned out or partly dissolved .so thatit becomes, in effect, a paint which may be spread, and consequently the felt body or sheet becomes impregnate and to all intents and pur oses ispractically the same as the body 0 the sheet. In other words, it becomesmerely a mixture of asbestos and the mineral gum and will adhere to wood, iron or any dry surface.

In laying the floor composed of the sheets,

the sheets are matched and cemented ether with, the .use of the same mastic-sot at the joints do not show. The work' can 'be. very much more rapidly done'than with the use of mastic alone ap lied in successive coatings to the floors an' the odor which is necessanl present when the material is applied in t e manner just stated, is absent to a very considerable de ,;-'and consequently t e floor may be hi and used where otherwise its em loyment wo'uldbe barred. The .elt is also advantageous in that-by its employment a -seasoning of the Q Qbeets of material may be governed. Seawooden forms m which from theminerals elaterite or soning, of course, is dependent upon exposure to the atmosphere. If the sheets are piled one upon another then naturally the seasoning is slow and they may be kept, for a long period of time in a partially seasoned condition. If fully exposed the material becomes as hard as a board and'can not be readily applied. This featureis of material importance for the reason that if the sheets are not fully seasoned the application there of may be readily effected as they maybe easily cut and fitted or into a cove or corner or even wrapped about a plllar. Where it is sought to separate the sheets by the use of oil paper or the like, it

is found that the paper is apt to stick to the sheets and, what is more, the presence of the oil or grease is detrimental to the mastic as they tend to prevent proper adherence 'be tween the upper surface of the sheets when may be bent to fit laid and the finish coating 3 which may be apglied thereto. s above noted the sheeting may be formed complete prior to placement, or, if desired, a finish coating, as just noted, may be applied. Preferably the sheets w1ll. be made up in three layers applied in separate coatings, the first containing a large per.- centage of m and. a relatively small amount of as stos, producing elasticity and acting as a cushion; the second formed of the same materials but containing a larger percentage of asbestos, which 'ves hardness and wearing qualities; and t e third containing about the same percentage of m and asbestos as the second coating an in addition thereto the pi cut or coloring matter which ma be emp 0 ed if desired.

In the claims employ t e term mineral mastic as indicating a mass made up in the manner above set forth and produced either "lsonite (uintahite), though, as before ind1cated,'I prefer to use elateriteowing to its superior qualities when employed for the purposes in view.

It is, of course, conceivable that where a light flooring is to be employed but a single coating need be applied to the felt base, which coating when partial-(11y dry may be passed through rolls to con ense and gage the same as is plied coatings wherea heavier flooring 1s ivragiproduced. jatisclaimedisz, Y 1.1As a new article of manufacture, sheet flooring comprising a fibrous base having a. wearing body or tread surface of material thickness formed of'mineral mastic as de-: scribed imposed upon the base. 2. As a new' article of manufacture, sheet flooring comprising a base of'felt having a body of mineralmastic as described imposed and condensed thereon.

3. As anew article of manufacture,

done with the successively ap-.

having elaterlte upon its exposed face and a body.

flooring comprising a base of asbestos felt a coating of paint produced from (f mineral mastic imposed upon its opposite ace.

4. As a new article of manufacture, sheet flooring comprising a base .ofasbestos felt and a ody orme from dissolved elaterite imposed thereon,

5. As a new article of manufacture, sheet flooring com rising a base of asbestos felt and a body 0? mineral mastic imposed thereon and having asbestos fiber intermixed therewith. t

6. As a new article of manufacture sheet flooring comprising a base of asbestos felt and a ody of mastic formed from elaterite havilig asbestos fiber intermixed therewith.

7. s a new article of manufacture, sheet floorin comprising a base of asbestos felt; a body 0 mastic formed from elate'rite having asbestos fiber intermixed therewith and a finish surface formed of elaterite mastic.

8. That method of producing sheet flooring and maintaining the same in a more or less flexible condition ready for use, which consists in producing the sheets by successive ayers of mineral mastic upon a felt base to produce a body of material thick ness; and pilin the sheets thus produced'to retard the har e of the mastic.

9. That method 0 producing sheet flooring which consistsin placing a sheet of asbestos felt upon a supporting surface; aplplylayer prior to placement of the next succeeding layer. A

11. I That method of producing sheet flooring which consists in placing a sheet of asbestos felt upon a supporting surface; applying thereto successive layers of mastic formed fromelaterite havin asbestos fibers intermixed therewith ;fan condensing each layer prior to placement of the next succeedlng a er.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT c. BIERNATZKI. 

